


hold me in your arms (i'll be buried here with you)

by orphan_account



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 19:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16393538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ash's body reacted like it was trying it's best to get away from what terrorized him in his sleep. He thrashed around, even managing to fall off the bed a couple times now, and...There were the times when he cried, too.





	hold me in your arms (i'll be buried here with you)

**Author's Note:**

> i sincerely cry whenever i think of banana fish, and i wish i was lying :''') it's so great, and i could talk about it all day, especially ash and eiji, but i'd be lying through my teeth if i said it didn't make me sad, and that's basically what this fic is haha. sad fluff!!!

It was the fourth time that week that Ash had woken the both of them up with his nightmares when Eiji decided something had to change. 

Ash's body reacted like it was trying it's damndest to get away from what terrorized him in his sleep. He thrashed around, even managing to fall off the bed a couple times now, and...

There were times when he cried, too. 

It was always quiet. Soft, hiccuping sobs laced with a hysterical tint that made Eiji want to turn away, cover his ears and shove his head into his pillows. Shame came later. Once Ash woke up, looked over at his bed and he'd pretend to be asleep, and it was so _shameful._

What kind of friend was he? Could he even call himself a friend, with what he was doing? With what he _wasn't_ doing. 

Tonight started like every other night did. 

The springs of Ash's mattress squeaked when he began to toss and turn, a tell-tale beginning of _it_ starting. Eiji swallowed.

He turned to face the wall, kicking the blanket off himself. It felt too hot suddenly, almost to the point of suffocating. 

Ash whimpered. 

All at once, thoughts flooded in about their time at Golzine's mansion. Ash, being displayed like some sort of sick, twisted prize. Ash, who'd probably held his head high at first, looking more dignified while restrained than Golzine or Arthur could ever _hope_ to be, standing on their tower of corrupted power. He probably taunted them, and he definitely showed no fear.

Until Shorter and Eiji came in. 

Eiji barely remembers the fight, if you could even call it that. Just his cuts stinging, his heart beating impossibly fast. He does remember Ash's face during it all, and that's almost worse. No, it's definitely worse. 

Ash, shooting his best friend to save Eiji. Ash, saying he'd protect Eiji no matter what. Ash, crying with his head resting in Eiji's lap, all uneven breathing and shame about what he'd done.

Ash, who was beginning to cry in his sleep once again. 

...And Eiji. The sorry excuse for a friend who wasn't helping him. 

He was getting up before his brain fully caught up with his body, but that didn't stop him. Eiji had grown tired of this, of his own cowardice. His Hesitation. It was time to be there for Ash, like the countless times Ash had done the same for him.

Ash's face was drenched in sweat. Worried, Eiji gently pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead, relieved to find it wasn't too warm. He wasn't feverish, at least. Just...so tormented by his own subconscious that it caused his body physical stress. 

"Ash." Eiji said quietly. The blonde showed no signs of hearing him. Eiji resorted to shaking him awake, calling his name at various volumes until Ash bolted upright like he'd been stung.

"Wha-" He gasped, voice rough with sleep. "E-Eiji..?"

Eiji nods, offering a weak smile. For a second, Ash looks relieved, maybe even happy. 

Then reality crawls back in, and Eiji can almost see the shame enter Ash's eyes, the walls beginning to go back up again. 

He's going to tell him not to worry about it and to go back to sleep. He's going to avoid the subject like the plague, or maybe even act like it didn't happen, come tomorrow morning. Eiji couldn't let that happen.

Ash opens his mouth to speak, and chokes on whatever he's about to say when Eiji slides into bed with him, laying down like he'd done it countless times before. "What are you..."

Eiji merely looked at him, ebony strands of his hair standing out against the white of Ash's pillow. "Whenever I'd have bad dreams...being close to someone helped me."

He left out the fact that the last time someone had ever slept in a bed with him after a nightmare, he'd been about 10 years old, and the person comforting him was his mother. No need to make Ash feel childish, on top of everything else. 

Ash holds his stare for a second too long, and Eiji's nerves begin to pick up right before he looks away, huffing out a humorless laugh. "Did it now."

"Yes." Eiji replies, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. Here comes the tough guy act. Another defense mechanism Ash seemed to have. "I dunno how different it is for you rowdy Americans, but I bet it'll help." 

His laugh comes out a lot more genuine the second time around at his familiar teasing. Eiji notices he's not shaking anymore, and lets out a quiet sigh of relief. He was doing something right, it seemed. "We'll see about that, big bro. You gonna sing me a lullaby, too?"

"Sure- Oh. The only ones I know are in Japanese." Eiji says, disappointed. "Sorry. I do know some pretty good ones though, and I can try to translate, if you want me to."

Ash stares at him, his face unreadable, and he realizes entirely too late that he'd meant that for that question to be sarcastic. Eiji blushes hotly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ahah, I mean..."

A hand reaches out to touch his arm, and he looks up to see Ash smiling at him. It's small, almost shy, and Eiji's breath catches in his throat. 

"Thanks." Is all Ash says, tone bleeding fond. Eiji feels a rush of _something_ run through him when he realizes that Ash doesn't use that tone of voice with anyone else. 

They both settle into bed. Their sides are brushing, and Ash radiates body heat, and it's just so...comfortable. Like they'd done it every day. Maybe Eiji wouldn't mind if they did. 

Fingers brush against his hand under the blanket. 

Eiji exhales softly and doesn't dare move away. A long moment passes, and then Ash is holding his hand. The blonde's hand is a little clammy, and his grip is loose like he's afraid he'll be rejected. 

Eiji squeezes his hand. _It's okay._

Ash holds onto him with renewed confidence, and Eiji buries his face into a pillow to hide his smile.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this dumb little fic, then thank you so much!! even if its not the most well-written, i certainly loved writing it, and i hope my characterization of these two best bois was okay!
> 
> (if anyone's interested, i made an ash/eiji playlist on 8tracks that i listened to while writing this! https://8tracks.com/kirishimaaa/through-all-the-madness-of-falling-in-love)


End file.
